The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, has assured the people of the Niger Delta that President Bola Tinubu will continue to support the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in fulfilling its mandate for the socio-economic development of the region and the nation.
Idris made this known during a PAP interactive session with its foreign scholarship beneficiaries held in London, organised by PAP Administrator Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro on the sidelines of President Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
A statement by PAP’s Special Assistant on Media, Igoniko Oduma, noted that the beneficiaries presented an Award of Appreciation to the President for his strong support, which has facilitated extensive onshore and offshore placements for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Dignitaries at the event included the Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters to the Delta State Governor, Olorogun Gloria Aghaghovia; officials of the Ijaw People’s Association, Great Britain and Ireland; and other Niger Delta groups.
Receiving the award on behalf of the President, Idris described the programme under Dr Otuaro’s leadership as “building a community of intellectuals.” He stressed the importance of sustained funding, noting that PAP has transformed the Niger Delta’s narrative positively.
Addressing the students, he said, “All of you, over 223 beneficiaries in the UK, are pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies. This programme is producing intellectuals committed to the development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria.”
Idris urged the students to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, excel academically, and assured them that President Tinubu remains committed to equitable development, human capital growth, and delivering the dividends of democracy across all regions of the country.
